A Witch Like No Other (46 page)
Read A Witch Like No Other Online
Authors: Makala Thomas
Tags: #love story, #romance novel, #sorceror, #fantasy novel, #fantasy about magic, #fantasy about a witch, #romance 2014, #a witch like no other, #makala thomas
“
Oh.”
Dreamer’
s face fell. “I should
have called them.”
“
Never mind
that,” Ted said quickly, hating the miserable look on her face.
“What are we going to do today?”
“
I
don’
t know,” she confessed, as
Baby Julian squirmed in her arms. “It
’
s nice that everything
is sorted properly, but…”
Ted stared at her. There was a
‘
but
’
in their moment of
bliss?
“
But what,
Dreamer?”
“
Well, we have
to be realistic,” she mumbled, and Ted realised that they was
standing at the front door still, Dreamer’
s neighbour watching them. Ted smiled politely and she
smiled back, then he pulled Dreamer inside and closed the
door.
“
Mummy Mummy, I
want to play bricks peas!” Baby Julian gazed at her happily,
waiting for her to put him down and conjure his toys.
just that, flicking her wand carelessly. The toys rose in the air
and zoomed into the living room, Dreamer putting her baby down so
he could run after them
“
Come play,
Mummy!”
“
Coming
sweetie.”
you mean by realistic.”
“
And Papa tells
me
I
’
m
the dreamer,” Dreamer muttered, looking at him.
“Ted, last night was great, but-”
“
Don’
t!” he snapped,
making her jump. “Don
’
t say it was a mistake.”
“
I
wasn’
t going to.” Dreamer
looked into his eyes, calm as ever. “I was just going to say it was
great, but we have to be realistic. You
’
ve got your house, and
I
’
ve
got mine. I
’
m not moving out of mine, Ted. It
’
s my home, and
I
’
ve
come to love it here.”
“
In just two
and a half months?”
thinking about that.
“
Well, I could
move here with the kids-”
“
I’
m not ready for that,
Ted.” Dreamer sighed. “Neither is my baby.”
startled to find three strangers suddenly on the scene.
“
So… what are
you saying? You want me to leave with the kids?”
“
I say we wait
until they come home, and then sort it all out.”
we enjoy our day?”
“
Our
day?”
“
Celebrate us
getting back together. Because,” he said as he looked her right in
the eyes, “Whether we live together or not, we
are
together.”
“
I’
ll accept
that.”
looking at her.
“
Hey
Pandora!”
She didn
’
t answer, dropping in her seat next to
Alice.
“
You hung up on
me,” Alice said sulkily, and Pandora looked at her.
“
Good morning
to you too, Alice. Jeez, lighten up. It’
s a nice day.”
“
Oh, I should
lighten up? Why don’
t
you
enlighten me on your baby-”
“
Shh! Break
time.”
“
Can I come
home with you?” begged Alice, but Pandora said no.
“
Unless
you’
re talking about my
dad
’
s
house- and it
’
s still no because I
’
m not going there.
I
’
m
going back to Mum
’
s with Marlon-”
She broke off, noticing James talking to her brother. They
hadn
’
t
spoken since she left him in the park two and a half months ago,
and after Pandora repeatedly rejected James
’
s calls, he stopped
calling.
him.”
“
It’
s not me he needs to
make up with, it
’
s my mother.”
James watched Pandora over Marlon
’
s shoulder, suddenly
oblivious to whatever Marlon was saying to him.
“
We’
ve got to practice for
the game, so forget about the Halloween party.”
“
Mmm,” James
answered, as Pandora walked off, Alice in her wake.
“
It
doesn’
t matter anyway,
there
’
s still Christmas parties and stuff, right?”
“
Uh-huh.”
Alice looked back and smiled sympathetically, then she was gone
too. James scowled. Did she feel sorry for him or something? What
did Pandora tell her?
“
And we need to
work on our essays for the coach too- I cant believe
there’
s a writing side to
sports-” Marlon stopped, looking at him. “Bro, are you even
listening?”
“
What? Oh-
yeah,” lied James. “Yeah, I’
m
listening.”
“
Good,
so
you
can tell Derek we
’
re not going to the
party.”
“
What?!”
spluttered James. “Why not?”
“
Because
we’
re already behind on work,”
Marlon answered. “We need to catch up before we get kicked off the
course.”
“
Make sure you
make notes,” their lecturer said firmly, staring right at Pandora.
“Some of you don’
t seem to be
taking Creative Studies seriously.”
out, the film starting.
“
Pandora, why
don’
t you take him home?”
Alice whispered in the dark. “I mean, that way
you
’
ll
be ok again and-”
“
We
are
ok,” Pandora whispered back. “I
’
m just holding off
talking to him until he apologises to my mother for being such a
coward.”
“
And when he
does?”
“
Then
we’
ll be back on
track.”
“
Pandora!”
barked Mr Works. “Stop talking and start working!”
She wrote down the title of the film, and the date. Alice followed
suit, Pandora scowling at her.
Funny how she
’
s the one who always whispers and copies my
notes but
I
’
m
the one who gets shouted at.
Turning her paper over, Alice scribbled
‘
Shall I talk to him
for you?
’
all too well when she saw James hug Alice outside her door at home.
Her gut clenched.
‘
No, I
’
ll talk to him myself.
’
“
Nap time,
baby.”
Baby Julian
’
s eyes filled over as he looked at his toys, then at
Dreamer.
“
I no want nap,
Mummy. Peas no nap?”
“
Please
yes
nap, and play some more when you wake up.”
thought about this, scratching his curly head. Then he reached up
to his Mummy, Dreamer bending and picking him up.
“
Good
boy.”
to stay put on the sofa. Dreamer stopped at the door and smiled at
him, making his stomach flutter as she said “I wont be long.”
Ted nodded. “Ok.”
Baby Julian looked up at Dreamer curiously,
then he looked at Ted.
Ted smiled, saying “I think he
’
s onto
something.”
“
Mummy, look!”
The baby placed his hands on Dreamer’
s chest, then his little ear. “Boom, Mummy! Boom boom! What
that boom, Mummy?”
“
It’
s my heart,
baby.”
“
It fast,” said
Baby Julian, transfixed. “It go fast, Mummy!”
Ted smirked, knowing her heart
would
be racing
if he was around. Embarrassed, Dreamer said “I…
let
’
s
get you to bed.”
stairs.
Ted waited
for a good ten minutes before laughing his head off. Dreamer
descended the stairs slowly, her hand on her slender
hip.
“
You think
that’
s funny, do
you?”
“
It’
s hilarious,” Ted
answered, grinning at her. “Wow, Dreamer. You looked so relaxed and
normal, but then Baby Julian gave you away.”
“
He picks up on
everything,” said Dreamer lovingly, then she pouted.
“I’
m not sure
that
’
s
a good thing.”
smiling grudgingly.
“
Come here,
you.” Ted pulled her into his arms. “Get ready for
lunch.”
“
Lunch?”
“
With Barbara,
remember?”
“
Oh Ted, I
don’
t want to- I cant leave
you by yourself-”
“
Dreamer, the
woman looked real disappointed when you tried shunning her off.”
Ted caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Go to
her.”
“
I cant. Baby
Julian’
s asleep now-
I
’
m
not waking him up just for-”
“
Baby,
I’
m perfectly capable of
babysitting for you.”
Dreamer bit her lip. “I
’
ve never left him alone
with a stranger before.”
“
I’
m not a stranger,
though.”
“
To him you
are- Ted, stop it-”
“
Say
you’
ll go to lunch,” Ted said,
eyes sparkling as he pulled her closer. “Or else
I
’
ll
torture you in the sweetest way possible.”
seductive smile.
“
I think
I’
ll prefer the torture, to be
honest with you.”
“
Oh
yeah?”
“
Yes.”
“
Ok, how about
I torture you and
then
you go to lunch?”
“
How about you
come with me?” Dreamer countered. “I’
ll call Miriam to come over and watch the baby, and
I
’
ll
call Barbara and let her know I
’
m coming in an
hour.”
“
Ok,” Ted said.
“You know, Marlon and Pandora finish at half three.”
“
They should be
here by half four then,” Dreamer answered as she picked up the
house phone. “By that time everyone should be relaxed. We can watch
a film together before we go out to dinner.”
“
Dinner?”
“
Dinner,”
Dreamer said, looking at him. “Remember Ted, in the early hours of
this morning, you went dramatic on me.”
“
Dramatic?” Ted
thought back to when Dreamer couldn’
t get enough of him, at sunrise. Remembering the expression
on her face, he smirked at her. “I thought you liked it when
I-”
“
Ted!” Dreamer
put the house phone down as he started laughing. “Stop being so-
I’
m talking about when you
called Miriam!”
“
Oh!” Ted
slapped a hand to his forehead. “I totally forgot.”
“
Right, so
I’
ll call Miriam quickly and
then Barbara, then-”
“
How long will
it take for Miriam to get here?” Ted cut across,
smirking.
“
Three quarters
of an hour minimum. Why?”
“
That’
s all I need to deal
with you, my lovely.”
“
No,” Dreamer
said flatly, but Ted ignored her as he walked towards her. “No,
Ted!”
“
Yes,
Dreamer.”
woke up to Mummy shrieking with laughter, Ted as well.
“
Ted, stop it!
We’
ve got to go.”
“
I
don’
t want to go
anymore.”
